I'm Not Innocent Anymore

There was still one thing Ye Qing couldn't figure out. Tong Ru had clearly seemed to like Gu Ze too, so why hadn't she said yes back then?

The thought lingered, so he asked.

Gu Ze smiled at the question. "Tong Ru and I actually get along pretty well in private. She's completely different when she's off the clock. You'll see once you get to know her."

Gu Ze didn't say exactly how she was different. After all, that was Tong Ru's private business.

Ye Qing nodded. Thinking back to what he'd seen that day, he had a feeling he already knew what she was like in private.

It was still early, and he had a rare day off. Ye Qing didn't want to head back just yet.

Is there somewhere we can go? I don't want to go back.

Gu Ze thought for a moment. "Do you want to head back?"

"Not really. I hardly ever get a day off."

"Then how about we go to a pottery studio?"

"But I don't know how to make pottery. I'm hopeless with my hands." Ye Qing wasn't exaggerating. He really was.

"I can teach you. If you don't have anywhere else in mind, why not give it a try?"

Gu Ze won him over, and Ye Qing agreed without much hesitation.

They'd brought a car today, so there was no need to hail a taxi.

On the way, Ye Qing kept asking questions about pottery, and Gu Ze answered every one. Ye Qing was starting to think he was being annoying, but Gu Ze showed no sign of impatience.

Brother Gu really is patient. If it were me, I might've stopped answering by now.

Eventually, Ye Qing felt too embarrassed to ask any more. He'd find out when they got there anyway. He was just excited about visiting a pottery studio for the first time.

Their car joined the traffic and arrived before long.

As expected of an arts district, all sorts of art shops lined the streets. It was quieter than the bustling shopping areas, but that quiet seemed to suit it better.

Even before they reached the pottery studio, the peaceful atmosphere rubbed off on Ye Qing, and he felt himself relax.

Ye Qing didn't know the way, so he followed Gu Ze. Now and then, curiosity prompted him to ask about a shop with no name on its sign.

Gu Ze could tell him about every one of them. He clearly knew the area well.

At the end of the street, Ye Qing spotted their destination: Li Ji Pottery Studio. Its entrance was narrow, just wide enough for two people to pass through, and a hanging curtain hid the inside from view.

Once they went in, Ye Qing noticed two white wind chimes beside the curtain. Whenever someone lifted it to enter, the chimes swayed gently and gave off a clear, bright sound.

Ye Qing looked around. The place wasn't large. The reception counter stood straight ahead, but perhaps because business was slow, the owner seemed unconcerned with customers and was asleep in a chair. Behind the owner was a cabinet packed with pottery.

Some pieces were good and some were bad, but Ye Qing found the mix strangely charming. Nothing seemed out of place.

The rooms farther back were probably where people made pottery. Their doors were all shut, perhaps because no one was using them.

After Gu Ze spoke with the owner, the two of them went into a room. Gu Ze already knew what he was doing, so they didn't ask an employee to teach them.

As soon as Ye Qing stepped inside, he saw clay, a pottery wheel, and other small tools for finishing the pieces.

Even though Ye Qing was hopeless with his hands, the sight made him eager to try.

"Brother Gu, what do we do first?" He couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice.

"Don't rush. First, you need to decide what you want to make. Then we can get started."

That stopped Ye Qing in his tracks. He'd never been to a place like this, and now that he had to choose, he had no idea what he wanted to make.

"I don't know what I want to make. What are you going to make, Brother Gu?"

"I'm thinking of making a cup."

"Then I'll make one too."

Once they'd decided, Ye Qing asked Gu Ze to demonstrate. He watched Gu Ze deftly place some clay on the wheel and center it, then pull it up, press it down, and open a hole. The opening widened until it gradually took the shape of a cup.

When the finished cup appeared, Ye Qing was itching to try. It looked simple enough.

He eagerly grabbed a suitable lump of clay and slapped it onto the wheel.

"Add a little water to moisten the clay, then put both hands around it," Gu Ze instructed from beside him.

Ye Qing followed his instructions step by step. He was still excited when the wheel began to turn, and he slowly started working with its rotation.

But as it sped up, his hands couldn't keep pace. He hadn't got the hang of it, and the clay he pulled up kept collapsing.

Ye Qing tried to save it, laughing as he said, "I guess I thought it would be too easy."

"It's fine. It's your first time. Take it slowly."

Gu Ze gently explained the technique, but Ye Qing truly was hopeless with his hands. No matter how long he tried, he couldn't get the hang of it.

In the end, the clay was unusable, and Ye Qing looked thoroughly defeated.

"We're only here to have fun. You don't have to make a perfect cup."

"Come on. We'll do this one together."

Gu Ze set a stool behind Ye Qing, took a fresh lump of clay, and fixed it to the wheel. "Here, put your hands on it."

Ye Qing assumed Gu Ze would guide him through it from behind.

As the wheel began to turn, Gu Ze said, "Excuse me," from behind him.

Then Gu Ze's hands came down over his.

They were both men, so there was no real need for Gu Ze to announce it, but he'd felt he should. He didn't know why.

Ye Qing's hands were smaller than Gu Ze's. Gu Ze could cover them completely.

To see how the clay was coming along, Gu Ze had to lower his head close to Ye Qing's. "Move your hands slowly with mine."

Gu Ze's voice sounded beside his ear, and Ye Qing shifted uneasily. Gu Ze explained everything with patience, but Ye Qing's thoughts gradually drifted.

Gu Ze unquestionably had a good voice, low and rich. As he taught, he unconsciously softened it, lending it a gentle quality.

Ye Qing could tell that even Gu Ze's breathing was lighter than usual.

Their position looked intimate, too. Ye Qing was 180 centimeters tall, hardly short, but Gu Ze was still taller. Standing behind him, Gu Ze had no choice but to reach around him.

The sun sank toward the horizon, and light streamed through the window. Anyone looking in from outside would have seen one man in the arms of a slightly taller man. The taller man had his head lowered as he worked patiently with his hands. The two looked impossibly close.

With Gu Ze's help, the clay gradually took shape, but other things kept flashing through Ye Qing's mind. He felt as if his thoughts had been corrupted.

No matter how I look at it, this seems like some kind of pottery play.

It's all their fault for sharing that stuff with me. I'm not innocent anymore!

Gu Ze's eyes widened in shock. His hands slipped, and the rim of the cup collapsed on one side.